December 15: The first shed moose antlers of the current
season were found on Teepee Creek today.

Lee Coleman

January 1: One of our C. C. C. boys awoke this morning to find
a pine martin (Martes caurina origines) snuggled close beside him on the
bed. Three of these animals have become close friends of the boys at the
Tower Falls side camp.

John Bauman

January 1: At noon today Blue Spring was flowing its usual
large volume of hot water. At 1:30 p.m. when I returned from a trip to
Poison Cave this huge thermal spring was completely dry.

Two young mule deer bucks, each with one antler shed, were seen at
Mammoth today.

Frank R. Oberhansley

January 2: Blue Spring is coming back, the large basin near
the vent is again slowly filling with water.

F.R.O.

January 5: A pair of Trumpeter Swans and one cygnet were seen
on Nymph Lake on January 3. Another pair of adult swans were observed on
Gibbon River at Elk Park today.

Verde Watson

January 8: A mature buck antelope (Antilocapra americana
americana) near the North Entrance was seen to have a broken left front
foot. The injured member is at least partially healed but will no doubt
be deformed.

F.R.O.

January 10: A bull moose (Alces americanus shirasi) with
antlers intact was seen on Grayling Creek.

L.C.

January 14: A few Bighorn rams (Ovis canadensis canadensis)
are beginning to drift apart from the ewes and lambs. Three head were
observed near the Gardiner River above Mammoth traveling toward Terrace
Mountain.

A large mule deer buck was seen near Soda Spring today with both
antlers shed.

F R.O.

January 15: Blue Spring has regained its normal flow.

F.R.O.

January 16: In cooperation with rangers Arthur Jacobson, Verde
Watson and Gerald Yetter a count of waterfowl along the Madison River
from West Yellowstone to Madison Junction was made and the following
birds were enumerated:

Ducks:

163

Barrows Goldeneye (Glaucionetta islandica)

39

Mallard (Anas Platyrhynchos)

30

Buffle-head (Charitenetta albeola)

9

Merganser (Mergus merganser americanus)

2

Green Wing Teal (Nettion carolinense)

Swans:

5

(including 3 cygnets) Trumpeter (Cygnus buccinator)

Geese:

102

Canada Geese (Branta canadensis occidentalis)

Lee Coleman

January 17: Six swans, eight green winged teal, 82 Goldeneye,
and 19 mallards were observed on the Snake River District today, mostly
on the hot spot about five miles from the station on the Snake River.
The six swans were seen on the Lewis River. Swans keep moving about from
one hot area to another in this region.

W. S. Chapman

January 18: Two bull moose with antlers shed were seen on
Grayling Creek today; a younger bull seen later on the Gallatin divide
still had both antlers.

L.C.

January 21: In company with ranger Clyde Gilbert I counted the
following waterfowl on Yellowstone River from Hayden Valley to the
outlet of Yellowstone Lake:

Ducks:

163

Barrows Goldeneye

7

American Goldeneye (Glaucionetta clangula americana)

17

Mallard

12

Buffle-head

4

Merganser

Geese:

11

Canada Geese

Swans:

92

Trumpeter Swans (49 cygnets and 43 adults)

David Condon

January 23: While skiing across Yellowstone Lake from Lake
ranger station to Park Point patrol cabin Ranger Clyde Gilbert and I
encountered some large blocks of ice shoved up in jumbled masses. At one
point the lake water had oozed from a large crack and spread over the
surface of the ice. It required 45 minutes to free our skis of ice and
apply new wax.

D. C.

Note: Rangers David Condon and Clyde Gilbert expect to cover
approximately 400 miles on skis during the course of the present patrol
to the upper Yellowstone and adjacent country.

January 23: In taking a nice slope on my return from Slough
Creek today I skied right into the middle of a band of 17 bison, none of
which appeared to be greatly disturbed at my sudden appearance. I was
quite fortunate in avoiding a collision with one of them.

F.R.O.

January 25: Eight Bighorn rams were seen in small groups from
Silver Gate to the south slope of Terrace Mountain. One of the old
veterans has lost a considerable portion of the left horn in battle.
These rams are all presumed to have left the ewes and lambs in Gardiner
Canyon during the past two weeks.

F.R.O.

January 26: I was greatly surprised at hearing the notes of a
killdeer (Oxyechus vociferus) today near the river. Upon investigating I
discovered this bird feeding along the shallow margin of the stream near
Snake River Station. Evidently this summer resident has his dates
confused.

W.S.C.

January 26: Snow depth near South Riverside patrol cabin is 76
inches. In the course of a 3-day ski patrol to this area with ranger
Arthur Jacobson, two Mt. Chicadees and one pine squirrel were the only
forms of animal life seen.

January 30: Our method of supplying birds with food at Cooke
ranger station is to suspend small pieces of suet from the limbs of
trees by small wires. Whenever there is lean meat or blood present in
the suet our pet weazel (Mustela arizonensis arizonensis), whom we call
Tippy for obvious reason, attempts to get these tid bits. He is not a
skillful climber, however, and it is always amusing to watch his rather
awkward and always futile attempts to get at these morsels. In his
travels about the station Tippy invariably dives into the snow and later
pops out at the most unexpected places. No doubt many mice are caught on
these foraging expeditions under the snow.

Peg Arnold

January 30: While going over the terraces today I came upon a
young coyote (Canis latrans) lying near the hot water channel directly
below the summit of Cleopatra Terrace. He had excavated a shallow bed
within 18 inches of the hot water. The pup appeared weak and emaciated,
which no doubt accounts for his seeking the warmth of a hot spring.

F.R.O.

January 31: Today I was attracted to a spot in the foothills 2
miles below Mammoth by the presence of a group of ravens (Corvus corax
sinuatus) and magpies (Pica pica hudsonia). As I cautiously approached
the spot from a small draw a coyote was observed feeding upon the
remains of what appeared to be a deer fawn. Upon closer examination,
however, the carcass proved to be that of a young coyote. Most of the
carcass had been eaten, only part of the hide, legs and head remained.
Indications were that starvation or sickness caused the death of this
coyote within the last 24 hours. Coyotes are now definitely known to be
cannibalistic.